An experience of improvement on parenting skills and socio-personal development in minors in serious social vulnerability situation

• Main Authors: Isabel Bartau Rojas, Mª Angeles de la Caba Collado
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2010-01-01
• Series: Psychosocial Intervention
• Subjects: habilidades para la parentalidad; desarrollo sociopersonal; menores en grave desprotección social; programa de intervención educativa
• Online Access: http://www.copmadrid.org/webcopm/publicaciones/social/in2009v18n2a5.pdf

This paper presents an educational intervention design and assessment aimed to improve the socio-personal development of minors in a situation of serious social vulnerability, and the parenting skills of their mothers and fathers. The sample includes families in situations of serious social vulnerability, with complex problems making parenting difficult (psychiatric problems, unemployment, social exclusion, etc.). The sample group comprised fathers, mothers and children. 18 persons (10 families) took part in the first phase of intervention and 15 persons in the second. The intervention was carried out in 3 groups (fathers, mothers and minors), and consisted of 5 fortnightly sessions lasting two hours each. Assessments were carried out before, during and after the intervention, comparing the information obtained from all groups involved (fathers, mothers, minors, family workers and group leaders. The educational intervention helped both fathers and mothers to understand better their children’s needs. Improvements were found in the emotional and cooperation skills of the minors. The professionals observed improvements in the relations between parents and children, and related them to the families’ involvement in the educational program. The work carried out has contributed to increase the children awareness of their parent’s inability to look after them and the effort made by them to learn and improve, as well. It was concluded that the strictly educational intervention promotes the initiation of small improvements positively evaluated by all groups involved. The educational intervention helps to develop values such as ‘to learn caring’ in social vulnerability contexts.